Rogan leads Grizz to another romp in Arizona

Thursday

Mar 28, 2013 at 12:01 AM

The Ashland High baseball team is thriving in the Arizona heat.

PHOENIX, Ariz. — The Ashland High baseball team is thriving in the Arizona heat.

Leadoff hitter Bryce Rogan had two doubles and two RBIs in Ashland's 10-run fourth inning to help the Grizzlies beat Coronado, Colo., in six innings by the 10-run mercy rule, 16-6, Wednesday at the Greenway Festival.

Rogan finished 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs to lead the Grizzlies (3-5), who have won three of four since starting the season with four straight losses, including two wins in Arizona by a combined score of 29-13. Ashland starting pitcher Steen Fredrickson was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI while also striking out eight batters in five innings and picking up the win to improve to 2-2. Also for Ashland, Ryan Bottimore was 2-for-3 with four runs, three RBIs and his first home run of the season, while Jamie Flynn and Eric Carlson added two hits apiece.

The game was tied 1-1 when Ashland scored two runs in the bottom of the third on RBI singles by Carlson and Fredrickson to take the lead for good.

Coronado starting pitcher Luke Brown was tagged with the loss after surrendering 10 earned runs on nine hits in 32/3 innings. Mason Telander was 2-for-3 at the plate for the Cougars with three RBIs.

The Southern Oregon track and field program returns to California this weekend, sending athletes to the Bay Area for Friday's San Francisco State Distance Carnival.

Around 20 distance runners will compete at Friday's meet in events ranging from the 800-meter run to the 10,000-meter run as the Raiders continue to aim for Cascade Collegiate Conference and NAIA qualifying marks.

It's a very high level competition meet, so we're excited to get our real official distance runners' start to the season off on a good start," SOU head coach Grier Gatlin said. "We're really excited to get down there and run fast."

The Raiders hope to conclude the first full month of the outdoor season in strong fashion after earning four NAIA qualifying marks and 39 CCC qualifiers last Saturday at the Chico State Wildcat Invitational. Mikayla Garrard (Klamath Falls, Ore./Mazama) and Amelia Maguin (Fernley, Nev./Fernley) both posted some of the best marks of their careers and joined Nicole Leaf (Eagle Point, Ore./Eagle Point) and Jordan Luker (Grants Pass, Ore./Grants Pass) on the women's 4x100 relay team that earned an NAIA 'B' qualifier.

As the calendar turns to April and the regular season begins to wind down, Gatlin believes the team is poised for even more success going forward. That begins this weekend for the distance runners down in San Francisco.

"Things are shaping up as we get into the championship portion of the season, which we consider April and May to be," Gatlin said. "We're expecting some big things and as we move forward getting into April things are shaping up for us to have a big year if we can stay healthy and do all the right things."

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